Cruise West

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Cruise West was a Seattle-based, destination-focused small-ship cruise line. Founded in 1973 by Chuck West, it became the largest U.S.-flagged cruise operator by number of vessels, with nine small ships. While best known for Alaska, it sailed to destinations around the Pacific, including the Americas, South Pacific, and Asia.

The company started as an Alaska tour operator and in 1990 bought its first overnight ship, Spirit of Glacier Bay. Through the 1990s it expanded beyond Alaska to the Columbia and Snake Rivers, British Columbia, California’s wine country, and Mexico’s Sea of Cortes. In 2001 it added its first oceangoing, foreign-flagged vessel, Spirit of Oceanus. Cruise West also partnered to offer cruises on the M/V Pacific Explorer in Costa Rica and Panama. In 2006 it bought the U.S.-flagged Nantucket Clipper and Yorktown Clipper from Clipper Cruise Line, renaming them Spirit of Nantucket and Spirit of Yorktown (the Nantucket/Spirit of Nantucket was later renamed Spirit of Glacier Bay).

The line operated nine small ships, carrying 78 to 138 passengers. On September 8, 2010, Cruise West announced a restructuring under new ownership and suspended new bookings. On September 18, 2010, it said it would cease operations, with the exception of the September 22 Danube Cruise. Six ships were sold to other companies: Spirit of Oceanus, Spirit of Endeavour, Spirit of ’98, Spirit of Discovery, Spirit of Alaska, and Spirit of Columbia. The remaining ships were expected to be sold.

Un-Cruise Adventures (formerly American Safari Cruises and InnerSea Discoveries) later bought Spirit of Endeavour (renamed Safari Endeavour) and Spirit of ’98 (renamed S.S. Legacy). Un-Cruise now offers similar small-ship itineraries in Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico’s Sea of Cortes, the Columbia & Snake Rivers, coastal Washington, and British Columbia.

Cruise West also chartered vessels for trips to the Galapagos, Antarctica, and the Danube River in Europe. The line experienced several groundings in 2007–2008, including Spirit of Columbia and Spirit of Glacier Bay, which led authorities to review its safety procedures.